Baraka Khamis
Baraka Khamis is the daughter of the One-Handed Girl from Blessing or Property, better known as The One-Handed Girl from Andrew Lang's The Lilac Fairy Book. In the Royal-Rebel debate, Baraka considers herself a Roybel. As her Mama and Baba grow ever the more ill in their small island kingdom, she believes that many factors of her story are unavoidable. That said, with her brother – Ghani – not wanting to accuse her of being a malevolent witch (let alone would he want to cut off her right hand and drive her out of town, what the actual h—), the two have made a pact not to go the same route that their mother and uncle took. Character Personality There's always that one quiet student who shows up for class. We all know that girl – listening to the teacher without interruption, hates to be called up, barely ever interacts with her fellow classmates, and always seems to be the awkward third wheel when it comes to partner assignments. You may not know her name, or really anything else for that matter (aside that she's pretty as hex, yet seems a bit too withdrawn to properly approach), but you know she exists. Always there, yet seldom in the spotlight. Well, that one quiet student is known as Baraka. Most know her as the reclusive girl with an odd obsession with snakes, though some are aware that her (admittedly handsome) brother is Mr. Badwolf's teaching assistant. But as with all fair maidens, there is much, much more to her than cute slithering reptiles and even cuter older siblings. Never tell her that snakes aren't cute. She will fight you on this. It's easy to believe that she’s a Royal at heart, or that her withdrawn demeanor stems from upper-crust haughtiness stemming from pride in a legacy that isn’t well-knows — this is far from the case. She's simply preparing herself for a story whose narrative spans for at least half a decade, child-rearing included. Baraka has a semi-fatalistic view when it comes to destiny, and as such has developed a strong "grin and bear it" mentality to prepare for the future. Post-grad preparations force her to keep quiet about flipping the script – to protect the kingdom and the Khamis bloodline from her uncle’s wrath, the previous wicked brother from The One-Handed Girl – making her already quiet aura more than a little off-putting. Despite her right-lipped stance on her future at hand, Baraka is a lonely girl who has a hard time when it comes to (and desperately wants to) connect to others, inter-family turmoil and destiny drama regardless. Speaking of destiny-related preparations, Baraka, like her mother, is an exceptional survivalist. Though she adores the splendor of royal circlets and sequined hijabs, the princess is always attuned with the environment and the scaley fauna within it. In fact, she's often seen spotted in the Enchanted Forest – taking notes on the edible flora, thinking pensively while sitting among the trees, and constructing makeshift shelters out of leaves and bark for the fun of it. While she’ll spend much of her story taking refuge in the forest, the pressures of destiny doesn't take away from the fact she she loves the outdoors. Baraka is no a social butterfly. However, she doesn’t shy away from surprising her peers in those odd incidents where they happen to approach her (or, more seldom, she approaches them) – for reasons both good and bad. On one hand, when she finds someone to be particularly vexing, Baraka will make it known in one covert, reticent way or another. Even if it means gifting kangas to unassuming students, with rather interesting messages that so happen to be printed in her native tongue. Her wry demeanor is notorious for those those who find themselves of her sour side, and she isn't above attempting to get the message across in a calm yet unexpected way. Though she never means to take it too far, her lack of sociability makes her come across as much, much harsher than the intends to be. A notable example is when she gave the son of King Midas a artfully weaved kanga made from gold thread with the sentence "nilikudhani dhahabu kumbe adhabu" stitched onto it; which translates to "I thought of you as gold but you are such a pain" in Swahili. While her intention was to signify that she genuinely wants to enjoy his company platonically (after all, she would have never wasted golden thread on a commission for someone she truly hated) but wants to get the bottom of his (rather irritating) demeanor, Auliver, well, he didn't exactly interpret her message in the way she intended for to be. To say the very least. On the other hand, if someone happens to intrigue her with a common interest (snakes and nature aside, she's especially big into fashion, activism, and a fair selection of related hobbies), the person in question will never see the end of her support and presence. Nor, on rare occasions, the end of her talking. While not easy at first to start up a conversation, Baraka can talk a fair bit once she's warmed up to the handful of those who give her the time of day. There's no doubt that Baraka is demure and unassuming at first glance. But as princess as risk of losing everything before rising up as queen, she shows an exceptional political astuteness for her kingdom's troubles and human rights. She doesn't let her privileged upbringing leave her ignorant about the consequences of a royal sibling rivalry, even if this means distancing herself from others for the betterment of her subjects back at home. As anyone can tell, this princess puts a lot of pressure on herself for a girl of just 16. But if it ensures that the fate of her people will be safe one, then it's all going to be worth it – right? Appearance Baraka is a pretty girl of average height and a lean build with a slight pear shape. Her features are soft with a heart-shaped face, wide nose-bridge, and the placid expression of someone who peacefully minds her own business. She has a rich, dark complexion snd wears conservstive yet eloquent clothing fit for a princess. Her round eyes are a brilliant bright blue, and when not covered via hijab, her thick dark hair – most often in cornrows or other intricate braids – has a skunk stripe in the middle of her hairline. She wears a hearing aid on her right ear to to moderate hearing loss on that side. This along with her eye and hair color are the result of her having type II waardenburg syndrome. Accessories-wise, Baraka's motifs tend to include hamsa amulets, vines, and pumpkin/squash flowers. Abilities, Hobbies, and Interests tba Fairy Tale: The One-Handed Girl Basic Summary A dying father asks his two children what both of them want: his Blessing, or his Property. While the brother wants his property, the sister asks for his blessing. After his death, their mother falls ill and the same is asked, the answers being the same. After mourning their mother's death, the brother kicks his sister out of the house and leaves her nothing but a pot and mortar. Ensuring her survival, every day the village people ask to borrow the pot in exchange for corn. One day, she also found pumpkin seeds and planted them. The sister begins to sell them within the village, and upon hearing the news again, her brother's wife sends a slave to buy some. The sister lets the slave take it for free instead leaving her with no more. Though the slave comes again, she turns him down since there werect any left. When his wife finds out, she tells the brother that his sister wouldn't give her pumpkins to her despite selling them to the villagers. Enraged, the brother tries to cut down the pumpkin patch. The sister blocks the way, but he cuts both the vines and her right hand off. He sells the house that his sister earned during her barters and sales. She hid in the forest and slept each night in the same tree for seven days. A king's son comes to rest under it, but is woken up by her tears. The prince brings her to his kingdom in secret when she explains what happened and marries her. She has a son a year later and when the prince goes to travel, news of the prince marrying a one-handed girl from the forest spreads to the brother's village. Recognizing his sister from the rumors, he travels to the king and queen's palace claiming that their daughter in-law is a witch who a.) kills every man she marries, and b.) whose hand was cut off as punishment. The brother told them to kill her, but the king and queen exile her and the baby instead while their son is away. She wanders the forest with her infant and an empty pot, then comes across a snake. She lets it hide in her pot as she walks. In exchange for hiding it from predators, the snake tells the girl to bathe in a certain pond that ends up restoring her hand. The snake then leads her to its parents who were grateful that she saved it. After staying a while, the snake tells her to ask for its father's ring and mother's casket before she leaves. Its parents tell her that the ring provides food, clothes, and shelter, while the basket grants protection from harm. As the brother rises high in the king's favor, the king's son returns from his journey and was told that his wife and child were dead. Meanwhile, the sister uses the ring to make a fancy house on the outskirts of the king's town. She lives there for years and the baby grows to be a healthy young boy. When rumor of the house spreads, the king visits with his son, the brother, and his viziers. The sister uses the ring to give herself a golden veil to hide her identity before letting them in. She and her guests sit down to talk, and the girl told them the truth about what happened. When he recognizes the story, the king's son immediately took his wife back. She tells the king that she forgives him for exiling her, and when asked about what to do to her brother, she to exiles him. The Andrew Lang version can be read here. Another translation from Zanzibar, Blessing or Property, can be read here. Parallels * Khamis (خميس) means Thursday, but literally translates to "5th day" in Arabic (Thursday is the the 5th day on the Islamic calendar). It shares part of its meaning with hamsa (خمسة) – literally meaning "five" – a palm-shaped amulet used as a symbol of protection and, in Muslim and Jewish tradition, wards off the evil eye. Because a.) the story originated from the Swahili people and since most Swahilis are Muslim, and b.) the hamsa is shaped like a hand, her surname alludes to the severed/regained hand in her story. ** Related, her hamsa-wearing motifs definitely tie into it. ** Baraka (buh-ruh-kuh) means blessing in Arabic, which is fitting to the role she's inheriting. * Her green thumb and ability to communicate to reptiles ties to a.) the sister/One-Handed Girl growing pumpkins after her brother kicks her out of his home, and b.) communicating with three benevolent (and one predatory) snakes in the course of the tale. * Baraka is very, very adept when it comes to nature and living off the land; something that the sister from the tale is forced to do at two different points. * When the prince first meets the sister, he asks her: "Are you a woman, or a spirit of the woods?". Not limited to her signature dress, Baraka often wears flowers (especially squash/pumpkin flowers) and touches of greenery motifs in her outfits, being a nod to the "nature spirit" appearance that the king's son mistakes her mother for having. * As an antithesis-parallel when it comes to Baraka and Ghani's roles, Baraka's means of dress is more colorful and ornate when compared to her brother's trimmed yet neutral-toned/simply-dressed wardrobe. Since recieving their parents’ Blessings and Property = symbolism for humility through one’s faith vs greed through materialism, their switch in clothing aesthetics (simple and plain clothes worn by the “materialistic“ brother vs ornate princess-y outfits worn by the “humble” sister) is yet another big indicator that Baraka isn’a fullblown Royal. How Baraka Ties Into It The role of the brother, sister, and prince in The One-Handed Girl varies between generations. More often than not, the sister/One-Handed Girl's infant son, who is born mid-story, becomes the next king's son while a girl commoner and her brother is chosen to fulfill the brother-sister dynamic. However, when the sister and prince's son give birth to more than one child of different genders, sometimes the Storybook gives their first-born son the role of the brother and the first-born girl becomes the sister. When this does happen, the following often ensues: # The brother, when he inherits his "property", ends up inheriting the entire kingdom due to a.) also being a prince and b.) his and his sister's parents being royalty. # Because the brother is supposed to lose his riches out of greed and selfishness, this also means that the kingdom in question suffers the consequences. Expenses rise, the economy plummets, and the people resort to bartering and borrowing from neighbors and town merchants because the land's local currency becomes worthless. # As the villagers in the tale a.) borrow the sister's mortar/pot in exchange for food, and b.) give the sister food in exchange for her pumpkins, this means there's a (somewhat tragic) justification for this part of the story to happen. # While the brother does become exiled at the end of the tale, he's only kicked out of the kingdom run by the Prince Charming who takes on the role of the king's son. Therefore, the brother continues to be the king of of a poor and downtrodden kingdom. In the generation before Baraka's, her grandmother gave birth to fraternal twins instead of a single child: Ghanyan, a boy, and Malenge, a girl. Because Ghanyan's page in the Storybook was for the brother instead of the king's son, Malenge took on the titular role of the sister and one-handed girl. Suffice to say, literally everything listed above happened. Meanwhile, Malenge married a Prince Charming whose kingdom is in Mozambique. The former king's son became sultan after the tale, and due to some contraceptive mishaps, Malenge gave birth to Baraka a year after the tale ended. Ghani, the son she gave birth to in the story, was age 8 at the time. Like Ghanyan before him, Ghani was assigned the role of the brother. Unlike his uncle, however, Ghani never became bitter to the point of wanting to lash out on his sister and to-be-terminally-ill parents. Sure, he had a fallout with his faith for a while, but even that didn't last very long. With Baraka in her third year and Ghani in the process of getting his sociology PhD, the story won't start until both of them graduate. Now that the Storybook is unbound however, the Khamis siblings fear that their Uncle Ghanyan – whose kingdom, just like Malenge's, resides in the Swahili Coast – might take advantage of this generation's freedom of choice (especially Ghani's reluctance to inherit all of his parents' property) by seizing the Mozambican kingdom himself. As a result, the siblings believe that sharing their parent's wealth and blessings, rather than leaving one of each to both siblings, is the smarter and safer political maneuver once their parents pass away. While this doesn't ensure that they're safe from Ghanyan's harm, working together instead of against each other may be the key to breaking the recent cycle of Evil Uncles. The two have promised each other to divide their parents' Blessing and Property evenly among each other, and ensure that their uncle won't try to sabotage their plans to change up the story, this information is only known by the two of them and a select few trusted exceptions. Also: while the original story(s) included slaves as backgrounders, these minor roles have gradually been phased out due to abolition of the trade in the Swahili Coast. So yeah, that's a thing. Relationships Family Malenge Khamis (the previous One-Handed Girl) Baba Ghani Khamis Friends Lily Gardner Acquaintances Auliver Midas Enemies until she actually has any Romance Well she kinda has a prince charming but ???? text more details at 9 Outfits Basic Notes/Trivia *text more details at 10 Category:Bug's OCs Category:Characters Category:Roybels Category:Females Category:The One-Handed Girl Category:Asexual Category:Biromantic Category:Swahili Category:Mozambican Category:Zanzibari